TEAC 800
Week 6: Section V: Ethnographic Research by Wolcott
Throughout the chapter, Wolcott offers statements about ethnographic research. It is one form of
qualitative research, and seeks to learn something about people’s culture and/or way of life. The
word ethnography refers both to the research process and to the end product. In ethnography,
very unlike in quantitative research, the researcher IS all of the research instruments. That is,
rather than tests or surveys, data is collected by the researcher observing and inquiring (which
Wolcott refers to as enquiry, p. 337). Another point of contrast with quantitative research is in
how to determine the “significance” of results: in quantitative research, results are significant
based on statistical tests; in ethnography, results are significant based on social factors and how
well the ethnographer learns and reports what is happening.
Pay attention to the four strategies for ethnography, beginning on p. 334: participant observation,
interviewing (more generally, asking questions—inquiring), making and using records, and
reporting the research.
Pay attention also to the distinction Wolcott makes around “doing ethnography” versus
“borrowing ethnographic techniques” (p. 345).
While experimental methods are ideal to answer questions about “Why is this happening?” (that
is, trying to establish the cause behind an effect), ethnographic methods are ideal to answer
questions about “What is going on here?” Ethnography is not concerned with establishing why x
caused y, but instead, describing how x happens, and then describing how y happens. Notice that
asking questions like “What is going on here?” does not lend itself to forming hypotheses before
the research begins. Recall that in quantitative research, it is crucial to form a hypothesis before
the research begins, so you can set up experimental (and control) groups to test your hypothesis.
In ethnography (and in qualitative research more generally), you do not want to impose preconceived notions on your research, but begin observation and inquiry with an open mind toward
seeing what is happening. This is a very different mindset, and a big difference between
quantitative and qualitative research (in general). Since the researcher is the instrument of data
collection, this is why the researcher needs to keep an open mind: you often only see what you
are looking for. Thus, the ethnographer needs to try to suspend his or her expectations when
collecting data.
Near the end, Wolcott points out that ethnography and teaching are not always an ideal match in
terms of educational research (p. 348). Pay attention to his reasoning here.
At the very end, Wolcott offers three pieces of advice (p. 349). Why should teachers read
ethnographies (according to Wolcott)? What value can there be in a teacher thinking like an
ethnographer?
Skim through the section at the end of the chapter where Wolcott offers ideas for further reading.
In reading Wolcott’s introduction to the ethnography of Brad, pay attention to what Wolcott says
in terms of whether it would count as “research” or not. As you read the actual article about Brad
(pp. 370-398), try to read on two levels: think about what Wolcott is saying about Brad, but also
think how this article would match up with our credibility scorecard and with the research
analysis assignment. In what ways does this seem like research? In what ways does this not seem
like research?